Do you work in a highly technical environment? Would you like to shift to a totally different job and have a good understanding of the new duties you are embracing? Would you like to have a competitive edge over those you are trying to beat at the next job interview? The solution is simple – take a cloud computing course.

The market is demanding more and more people who are capable of understanding and working with a cloud computing service, and this branch of the IT industry is only destined to grow. The cloud computing market is growing at a 22.8 percent CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) and will reach $127.5 billion in 2018. Wikibon research says that the Amazon Web Services revenue will increase to $43 billion by 2022, while its main competitors like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud will follow at a close distance. Also, more and more companies are opting for cloud services, with a decrease of in-house IT facilities and an increase of cloud service providers, which makes it crucial to know how to handle a cloud service. You need proof you are the right person to rely on when dealing with cloud computing, and a certification is your entrance ticket in this crucial IT service. Here are the top 5 benefits you will gain by embarking on a cloud computing course.

1. Learn a skill that is highly in demand and is destined to grow in the following years.

Nowadays employers seek more and more IT professionals that know their way around cloud computing and can help them implement a cloud environment into their infrastructure as seamlessly as possible. Recently, Indeed.com conducted a research showing that in the US there is a high request for positions in cloud computing, and yet 25000 positions remain unfilled. By taking a comprehensive cloud computing training and certification, you would be one step further than the competition and one step closer to a job you are super qualified for thanks to the key concepts, latest trends and best practices you have learned in the course. For example, Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service that is actively seeking professionals to take on board, the number of jobs they offer has increased over the years, but a study of 120 Microsoft partners highlights that companies are having a tough time to find qualified professionals.

2. Get a certification that will open up the doors to a better-paid job.

This title is a clear statement, but here you can find more figures that will tell you the truth: a recent report from Simplyhired says that the average salaries for cloud administrators are less than $78,000, while cloud developers earn an average of $118,758 a year. Cloud architects can earn up to 6 figures, with median salaries of $124,406 and some salaries as high as $173,719. Forbes states that with a cloud computing certification an IT professional can earn an annual salary of $125,971. Having a cloud computing certification will not just be an ornament in your living room, but it will seriously increase your chances to get a better paying job.

3. Set yourself apart and get a recession-proof job.

Even Silicon Valley had a terrible moment when worldwide recession hit the job market. Many qualified engineers had a dreadful time when job hunting and finding a fulfilling position seemed to be impossible. With a cloud computing course and certification, this will not be the case for you. The IT industry is demanding more and more cloud professionals and the market just keeps growing by the hour. Companies are having a hard time to find the suitable skills they look for in a specialized IT professional, so getting that cloud computing degree is a no-brainer.

4. Build trust with your employer and get recognition from your peers.

In a recent research conducted by Microsoft and IDC, holding a certification, having a highly relevant training and experience are three of the four core attributes that a company looks for in an applicant when trying to fill a cloud-related position. Taking a cloud computing course can be your ticket to a better paying job and can get you to an above average status among IT engineers. For a cloud computing company, your certification is a seal of guarantee regarding the fact that you will be able to help your company reduce risks and cut costs to implement your workloads and projects on different cloud platforms. Thanks to your certification you will enter and better cloud-related projects, and you will rise to the status of cloud computing experts in front of your clients. It will be the tangible proof you can be trusted with complex procedures and handle cloud deployment in an enterprise. By now, you have a greater understanding of how a certification can help you. You can specialize in one area or you can get a new job. Cloud certifications are a great way to take your career to greater heights.

5. Beat the competition at your next job interview.

The job interview stage is stressful in any job-hunting situation. You suddenly have sweaty hands, you can’t stop your legs from shaking, and you look at the next candidate that stands up and enters the room for the interview. And yet, you are the one that nails the interview and gets the job. And all thanks to the certification you gained just some weeks before. Hiring companies will notice it and tell your employers you have the right cloud computing skills, knowledge, and expertise for the job. Cloud computing is a domain that is going to grow exponentially in the next years. Choosing a certification in this field will be a wise choice for job opportunities and better salaries.

Cloud Technology Is the Past, Present, and The Future

Over the last few years, cloud technology has transformed the way businesses operate. Today, companies big and small rely on public cloud platforms to host and implement critical applications—this trend will only grow stronger in 2018. Whether you’re planning to carve an entry into this domain or looking to grow your cloud computing career, a certification will help you gain the most-recent skills and contribute to your organization’s business.